Thoughts on AL-05, from Rep. Randy Hinshaw

Bring it on! (0.00 / 0)

Randy Hinshaw sounds like my kind of democrat.

President Harry Truman believed in a Democratic philosophy of controlling the debate and “taking the fight to them”.  I want to support that kind of candidate.

I want to support that kind of candidate too!

I’ve not met any person in North Alabama who hasn’t said to me that both political parties have lost their way. People are just tired of the rhetoric and the inaction and how the people take a back seat to campaign contributions from the big spenders.

Yep!  People are sick and tired of the corporations masquerading as candidates and candidates masquerading as human beings to paraquote Ralph Nadar.

I have always believed that we should stop sending our jobs to Mexico, China and the Far East and stop bailing out and subsidizing companies that do so.  I believe we should stop bailing out fat cat bankers.  I believe we should protect the right to bear arms.  I believe that we should be strong enough to stand up against discrimination in the workplace. I believe that we should protect Social Security from privatization.  I believe that we should support health care reform that puts the care of people ahead of lobbyist’s contributions. I believe that we should support Medicare, Medicaid, children’s health insurance and other “government run” health care programs that the Republican Party wants eliminated.  I believe in a strong national defense and believe we should protect our jobs at NASA and Redstone. I believe we should champion the call of the late senator Howell Heflin for a balance budget amendment to the constitution.  It’s time to get our fiscal house in order from the ravages of 8 years of “conservative” republican economic policy.

Randy Hinshaw articulated democratic values we all can believe in. 

 The Republican Party vilified Congressman Griffith in one of the dirtiest campaigns in the entire county.  Forgive me for being skeptical that they now support his newly-held conservative beliefs.

*Snicker*

I wouldn't count on the Teabaggers supporting Griffith for dog catcher, much less Congress Critter.

Another mostly Huntsville factor is the Tea Party.  My guess is that the Tea Party had some role in electing Senator Paul Sanford and Representative Phil Williams – so they’re on a roll.  Christie Carden of the Tea Party said that she doesn’t consider Griffith to be a “constitutional conservative”, which is her biggest criteria for voting (she’ll vote for Griffith “when pigs fly”).  Clearly Griffith has his work cut out there.

Be sure and read the comments.  Here is a sample;

Mo Brooks on December 24, 2009 at 11:56 am 

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How could a “conservative” contribute $1,500 to Howard Dean for president (as Griffith did)?

How could a “conservative” proudly vote to empower Speaker Nancy Pelosi (as Griffith did)?

How could a “conservative” proudly vote with Speaker Nancy Pelosi 85% of the time out of 991 votes (as Griffith did)?

Griffith is a 1 in 50 chance of winning the GOP primary (assuming the GOP allows him on the ballot). But if he wins the primary he loses the general election, because many, many conservative Republicans will join Christie Carden and vote for pigs that fly before they vote for Griffith in the general election.

The GOP Washington Crowd that has done so much damage to America simply will not be allowed by voters to extend that same damage to a 5th District GOP Primary.

Mo Brooks vs Randy Hinshaw?  My money's on Hinshaw.

 

The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.~Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D. MA)

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by: Redeye @ Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 00:10:06 AM CST

those comments are encouraging (4.00 / 2)

and seems like he might be ready for the challenge. i met him once and he seems like a good guy and would be pretty solid on the stump.

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by: gradyw @ Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 03:32:40 AM CST

he might be a fiscal blue dog (4.00 / 2)

based on what i see in his background on tax votes. he was one of three dems in state legislature to vote against billion dollar bob tax hike. but he also supported john knight's tax fairness plan.

but he certainly seems like a friend of labor and someone that we could count on tough votes like Ledbetter, SCHIP and possibly even health care reform.  

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by: gradyw @ Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 03:39:03 AM CST

randy's statement (4.00 / 2)

I too like a lot of what Randy said. couple of points -- it's not the "lobbyist(s)" who are the health care (or other) problem. it's who they work for, like the giant multi-national rip off big pharma operations. hit big pharma. the lobbyists don't convince legislators in washington on how to vote -- the contributions from big pharma overwhelm the system. and, if you don't "go along to get along," as the saying goes, the contributions go to your opponent in the next election.

I don't like the idea of constitutional amendments to solve an economic problem like balancing the budget. if you don't think your representative and/or senators are doing what's right, so far as the balancing the budget is concerned, you change them, not the constitution.

it's going to take a candidate like Randy, who will describe the republican party jusat like it is, and fire "liberal" and "sacialist" right back at them, if the Fifth District is going to stay Democratic.

(Plus a few million dollars and a lot better advertising.

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by: ivan @ Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 07:17:35 AM CST

If I lived there, he sounds like a candidate I could support. (0.00 / 0)

A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead  

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by: piggieheart @ Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 08:39:54 AM CST

"My party is a party of inclusion" (4.00 / 2)

That's my party too. Great post Rep. Hinshaw. Good luck in whatever you decide.

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by: Go Blue @ Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 11:10:10 AM CST

I guess it depends on what the definition of party of inclusion IS. (0.00 / 0)

Does the party of inclusion mean including DINO's, bluedogs, conservatives/moderates, dixiecrats who don't share democratic values and don't adhere to the duly adopted democratic party platform? 

Or does it mean including democratics of all races, gender, religion, sexual orientation and creed?  If so, why are minorities, women, LBGT's thrown under the bus in an attempt to appease, I mean win over conservatives/moderates/dixiecrats etc?

Hinshaw said;

I feel quite certain that not every Democrat supports every bit of political philosophy that I believe in.

 

Democrats may not support every bit of political philosophy Hinshaw and others believe in, but there are some basic tenets and values that are non negotiable IMHO.

Democrarts either support a womans't right to chose to have a safe and legal abortion or they don't.

Democrats either support LBGT's having equal rights or they don't.

Democrats either support everyone having equal rights and civil rights or they don't.

Democrats either support evrey American having access to quality, affordable health care or they don't.

If democrats don't support these democratic ideas why are they democrats?

Is the party of inclusion just a slogan, all hat and no cattle like "No child left behind."?

I'm beginning to wonder.

What say y'all?

For more than 200 years, the Democratic Party has represented the interests of working families, fighting for equal opportunities and justice for all Americans.

Today, Democrats continue that fight with a firm commitment to the values that we all share as Americans: secure the nation, end the war in Iraq responsibly, and restore our moral standing in the world; free ourselves from the tyranny of oil once and for all; restore the Constitution and protect the civil rights and liberties of all Americans.

 

The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.~Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D. MA)

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by: Redeye @ Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 17:23:03 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Second verse, same as the first (0.00 / 0)

Same ole, same ole

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke

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by: Old Prosecutor @ Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 20:05:09 PM CST

[ Parent ]

This is a good read. (4.00 / 1)

Thanks for posting it. I linked to it on my Facebook. I hope we can have a good pool of candidates to choose from. Rep. Hinshaw looks like he could potentially be a good option to have on the ballot. I hope we can start seeing a clear picture of what the candidate pool is going to look like as quickly as possible. There really is no time to lose.

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by: mwoodj @ Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 15:03:14 PM CST

Randy Hinshaw is one of the good guys (0.00 / 0)

He would make a helluva Congressman for the Alabama Fifth.

"The War in Iraq is not the disease. The War in Iraq is a symptom. Arrogance is the disease" - Bill Richardson

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by: herding old cats @ Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 22:52:59 PM CST

Sounds like a reasonable ally (4.00 / 1)

I knew we were going to have a problem with Parker Griffith when he refused to campaign for Sen. Obama and when he refused to campaign with his AL senate colleague Vivian Figures when she ran against notorious racist Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III.

 If Hinshaw can campaign on complete civil equality for all people and promise to stay clear of the Jesus cult on C Street and similar Christian Dominionist groups, I'll consider voting for him.

 

What a day, what a day for an auto-da-fe

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by: revbob @ Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 06:35:43 AM CST

he did refuse to bring some of her signs to huntsville (0.00 / 0)

somebody was going to pick up from his headquarters but he refused. Vivian should have never run though.  

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by: gradyw @ Fri Jan 01, 2010 at 08:19:08 AM CST

[ Parent ]